Dear Starmer

BERCOW BOOTED?

Speaker John Bercow's local Tory association begins search to replace him

Scrapping Class 2 NICs was designed to simplify the tax system but officials said they had decided to make the U-turn after realising it wouldn’t have achieved this goal.

But critics dismissed these claims and tore into Mr Hammond for breaking another promise to White Van Man.

The Federation of Small Businesses, which represents Britain’s army of 4.5 million solo workers, said it raised “serious questions once again about the Government’s commitment to supporting the self-employed”.

Senior Tory backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg said it went against the grain of the Tory party’s values.

He warned: “Self employment has been at the heart of the economic recovery since 2008. It should be encouraged not penalised.

“The Tory party is meant to be the party of low taxation and the friend of the ambitious. This U-turn fails on both counts.”

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell stormed: “This is yet another betrayal of the self-employed.

“These people are the engine of the economy and have been let down again, while giant corporations have seen their tax bills slashed. Few will ever trust Philip Hammond or the Tories again.”

Taxpayers' Alliance boss John O'Connell warned that the move would discourage entrepreneurship.

He said: “Millions of self-employed people in Britain who were promised lower and simpler taxes next year will be extremely disappointed by this announcement.